George O'Hanlon | |
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O'Hanlon as Joe McDoakes, in his native habitat
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Born |
George Samuel O'Hanlon November 23, 1912 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
Died | February 11, 1989 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
(aged 76)
Cause of death | Stroke |
Occupation | Actor, voice actor, writer, director |
Years active | 1932–1989 |
Spouse(s) |
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Children |
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George Samuel O'Hanlon (November 23, 1912 – February 11, 1989) was an American film and voice actor, comedian, and TV writer.
Movie fans know O'Hanlon best as the star of Warner Bros.' live-action Joe McDoakes short subjects from 1942 to 1956. Television viewers recognize him as the voice of George Jetson in Hanna-Barbera's 1962 prime-time animated television series The Jetsons and its 1985 revival.
George O'Hanlon was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on November 23, 1912.
From the early 1940s, O'Hanlon was a character comedian in feature films, usually playing the hero's streetwise, cynical friend. He appeared in features for various studios while continuing the Joe McDoakes role for Warner Bros. After the McDoakes series lapsed in 1956, O'Hanlon returned to character work, mostly in television (two rare post-McDoakes movie appearances are in Bop Girl Goes Calypso and Kronos, both from 1957).
In the 1953-54 season, O'Hanlon appeared several times on NBC's The Dennis Day Show. In 1957, he played Charlie Appleby on an I Love Lucy episode, "Lucy and Superman". In 1958, O'Hanlon played a New York publicist for a fashion model, Loco Jones (Barbara Eden) in the syndicated romantic comedy How to Marry a Millionaire.
In 1962-63, he voiced one of his most prominent characters, George Jetson in the original The Jetsons, a role he would reprise over 20 years later in three movies.
In the autumn of 1964, he appeared as a cab driver in the 13-episode CBS drama The Reporter starring Harry Guardino. In 1966, O'Hanlon appeared opposite Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden's loudmouthed "bum brother-in-law", on Gleason's first TV show of the 1966-67 season. He also made various appearances on ABC's Love, American Style, a series for which he wrote the screenplays and also directed several episodes.